Pakistan court orders men's ears, noses hacked off

Recently, a court in Pakistan has ordered two men to have their noses and ears chopped off. The court also ordered that these two men, Ammanat Aliand and Sher Mohammed, spend life in prison and 700,000 rupees (equal to 8,300 dollars). These two men allegedly followed Fazeelat Bibi home from work and strangled her with a wire after she rejected an offer of marriage from Sher Mohammed. When they thought she was dead, they cut off her ears and nose. There were three other men involved in the attack, one has been arrested and the other two have not been identified yet. A doctor must determine if the men can survive after being cut and a high court must confirm the sentance before it can be carried out.


It's hard for me to believe any sane person would do this to someone else, let alone five sane people. What shocks me even more is that the victim was a woman one of them had previously wished to marry! Why would someone want to hurt someone that they loved enough to ask to marry? It seems to me that these five men who were involved in this crime need some serious help more than anything else. The men say their actions were to "set an example." An example of what? An example of how insane they are? Obviously these men need to face consequences, but I don't think chopping off their ears and noses is an accurate punishment. This is such a horrible thought and I hope Sher Mohammed can overcome it. I couldn't imagine going through this and I pray for her health. She is only 22 and has much of her life yet to live.



http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/12/22/pakistan.harsh.justice/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Wintry storm churns toward Northeast

According to the National Weather Service, a winter storm warning was in effect for the East Coast metropolitan areas. This storm may cause chaos for all the Christmas shoppers and travelers. Air travelers are encouraged to arrive at the airport two hours prior to their scheduled departure. And if you're traveling by car, there are many precautions that should be taken. Map out where you're going and let friends or family know when you plan to arrive and what route you're taking. The snow will continue to fall; Washington is expecting as much as two feet of snow and blizzard conditions are possible for Long Island.

This article is similar to the one I blogged about last week, and my opinion has not changed much. I am still anxiously awaiting our first big snowstorm here in Alexandria! But as much as I would like a snowy Christmas, I would rather have safe traveling. I hope all the places that are currently experiencing this storm can stay safe. Drivers need to realize how important it is to be cautious in these wintry conditions. I think it's a great idea for drivers to map out their route ahead of time and let friends and family know when they plan to arrive. I also hope the airlines can continue safely flying. I just hope everyone is able to get to their designated destinations for Christmas!




http://www.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/12/18/wintry.weather/index.html?eref=rss_topstories&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+Top+Stories%29

Boosting the Minimum

Over the last thirty years, inflation has increased hourly wages by more than 200 percent. Since 1947, the job market has gone through great changes due to growing international trade, advancing technologies, and the spread of high-speed Internet access. Many Americans have seen great financial success, but others have lost their jobs or have been faced with stagnant wages. This causes a concern for the number of poverty stricten people living in the United States. Being considered poor is any U.S. family of four whose annual income in 2006 was less thean $20,444. In 2005, 12.6 percent of Americans were considered poor. That's 37 million men, women, and children living in poverty. Many people think that raising the federal minimum wage will help reduce the number of poor. They are convinced that raising the minimum wage will positively affect the lives of millions American workers. Critics argue, stating that raising the minimum is a weak weapon for fighting poverty.


Personally, I'm a critic of raising the minimum wage. Our country's economy was built on capitalism, meaning the laws of supply and demand control our financial system. We have a successful market-based economy and I think the federal government should minimize its regulations concerning minimum wages. An increase in minimum wage will result in higher prices and more job cuts. It will hurt small to medium sized companies in America, which are important to the vitality of our economy. Also, like I stated earlier, 37 million people are living below the poverty line. Only three million out of the 37 million are actually full time workers. Raising the minimum is not going to help the other 34 million. Expanding the EITC is a more reasonable way to help the working poor. Expansion of the EITC will reduce taxes provided to low income workers, with no interference in the market.

Richard Berman, the Executive Director of the Employment Policies Institute, is also a critic of raising the minimum wage.

Issue number 1: http://jumpingjoeblog.blogspot.com/

Issue number 3: http://backstroker321.blogspot.com/

Winter storm crashes across U.S.

Winter is finally here, and people from all over the United States are now bracing themselves for more blizzard conditions after what many parts of the U.S. experienced last Wednesday. The National Weather Service says that many Midwestern states had dangerously low wind chills. Schools were closed across Iowa, North Dakota, and parts of Wisconsin. The University of Wisconsin cancelled classes after Madison, Wisconsin, received 15 inches of snow. Snow and sleet fell in Chicago, cancelling more than 325 flights. Heavy rain fell across the South, damaging in homes in Louisiana. The storm also brought high winds to the Southwest. Texas recorded a wind gust of 105 mph.

I am not too thrilled about the low temperatures winter brings, but I do have to admit, the snow is exciting! This article mentions that students from the University of Wisconsin began forming a giant snowball after they found out their classes were cancelled. I cannot wait to have our first snow day here at Jefferson! Kate Gearman (http://kategearman.blogspot.com/) read an article similar to this, and she is also anxiously awaiting our first snow day also! Along with all the excitement, I hope people stay as safe as possible in these windy, snowy, freezing, and rainy conditions we are experiencing across the U.S. I hope drivers take precautions on slippery roads. A 28-year-old woman was killed in Omaha, Nebraska last Tuesday when a truck plowing snow in a parking lot backed into her. This is terrible incident and I hope we can all stay safe!